mr. Independence”

It was another packed day of practice at Westside Tennis Club in Houston today. Crowds had gathered to watch Andy practice as usual.

Andy finally made his appearance, with no hat or visor, just a typical Andy ‘do, a shaggy-chic look that flattered him.

Andy’s practice was moved from Court 13, a side court, to Court 5, one closer to the club and with added security provided.

The cloudy skies spelled trouble, hinting that rain would be in the forecast. Andy’s only comment was that it was very humid today. “It’s beautiful,” the always optimistic Brad Gilbert replied.

Next topic of conversation: transportation. While BG had elected to use the ATP transportion provided, the always independent Andy, now 21 and at the legal age where he is alotted an official ATP player’s car, was sporting himself around in Mercedes-Benz.

A fan commented that he was driving pretty fast in the parking lot.

“There were 3,000 people pulling up so I figured I better get to my spot,” he defended. “Besides, I was just testing the suspension.”

Lets hope Andy has the same fascination with speed today when he’s serving against Roger Federer.